The invention relates to the problem of filling the successive furnace chambers of a battery of coke ovens, or the like, with cold or preheated coal by means of a coal conveying arrangement extending in the direction in which the battery of coke ovens extends. More particularly, the invention relates to the problem of so filling the furnace chambers that dust and gas is prevented from freely escaping into the atmosphere during the filling.
It is already very well known to make use of chain conveyors (drag-link conveyors) for the purpose of filling the furnace chambers of a battery of coke ovens with moist or preheated coal. One such method is disclosed, for example, in West German Offenlegungsschrift No. 2,020,261. According to this method, cold or preheated coal is fed into the chambers of the battery of coke ovens by means of a permanently mounted chain conveyor which extends lengthwise in the direction of the row of filling inlets of the furnace chambers of the battery. The chain conveyor is provided with a plurality of outlet units, each one permanently associated with and positioned directly above a respective one of the filling inlets of the row of filling inlets. The outlet units of the permanently mounted chain conveyor can be gas-tightly and dust-tightly sealed. The actual feeding of the coal from the outlet units of the chain conveyor to the filling inlets of the furnace chambers is accomplished by means of an intermediate arrangement mounted on a frame which is movable along the length of the row of filling inlets. The intermediate arrangement can be of many different forms. In the publication referred to above, the intermediate arrangement consists of two intermediate conveyors which can be blocked off by a type of valve arrangement and which is provided with pipes insertable into two of the filling inlets.
Prior-art arrangements of this type have the disadvantage that they require that the chain conveyor be provided with one outlet unit for each filling unit of the battery of coke ovens. Each of these outlet units is conventionally provided with some type of valve arrangement capable of sealing off the outlet unit in a dust-tight and gas-tight manner. The provision of these valve arrangements makes the outlet units of the chain conveyor very expensive, and when preheated coal is being conveyed these outlet units must be continuously watched over.